The subject matter disclosed herein generally relates to controlling the operation of one or more wind turbines. More specifically, the subject matter relates to systems and methods for controlling the operation of one or more wind turbines based on a noise level at a sound immission point.
In recent years, the increased usage of wind turbines as an alternative source of energy and the scarcity of suitable locations for installing wind turbines have led to wind farms (i.e., one or more wind turbines) moving closer towards densely populated regions for example, residential areas. Since the operation of wind turbines generates noise emissions, regulatory authorities have imposed noise regulations that prescribe a maximum sound immission level at these residential areas. In order to comply with these noise regulations, a wind farm is sometimes operated in noise reduced operation (NRO) modes that are based on, for example, a wind speed near the hub of a wind turbine. Such NRO modes may significantly reduce the overall amount of energy produced by the wind farm. Furthermore, the noise emissions generated by the wind turbines sometimes exceed the noise regulations upon reaching the residential area due to, for example, variations in meteorological conditions in the sound path between the wind farm and the residential area.
Thus, there is a need for an enhanced system and method for controlling the operations of wind turbines.